{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Coworking Values Podcast","title":"When a Shopping Centre Becomes a Hope Hub with Parisa Wright","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2274,"description":"“You might not be able to give them money donations for what they’re doing, but what you can do is give them support in various ways, which then means that you are effectively helping achieve those things in your community.”— Parisa WrightParisa Wright runs Greener and Cleaner, a community sustainability charity that took over a vacant unit inside The Glades shopping centre in Bromley.Five days a week, the Hub teaches residents how to mend clothes, reduce energy bills, grow food, and repair electronics—all whilst sitting opposite a McDonald’s and the public toilets.The location is deliberate.Parisa chose accessibility over purity, planting a “hope hub” in the middle of the retail rat race where people already are, not where activists think they should be.The conversation centres on how coworking spaces can partner with community projects like Greener and Cleaner without running them.You don’t need deep pockets or a dedicated sustainability manager. You can offer free desk passes, meeting room access, or signpost volunteering opportunities. In return, your members get training (carbon literacy, energy clinics), CSR pathways, and visible proof that their workspace invests in the local community.Parisa also chairs the new Community Sustainability Support Network for England, launching in spring 2025.It’s a free network for anyone running a community sustainability project—coworking hubs included. Members share templates, case studies, impact data, and collaborate on funding bids. If you’re running a repair café, a community fridge, or a lending library in your space, you can join.The partnership model here is simple: local charities get breathing room (free workspace and promotional reach), and coworking operators can amplify their impact without taking on another full-time project.Both sides win. The community wins twice.Timeline Highlights00:01:44 – Parisa introduces herself: founder of Greener and Cleaner, chair of the Community Sustainability Support Network for...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/WIBJeL0fXbpb8oNZHEtSu5qeC3870OdCYV3XNCIVY1M/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8yZTBm/NGQ1N2YzYTcyNmE3/NTc2ZmU5NTBlYmNj/OTEwOC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}